


A Friend Indeed

by Artifiction



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Comfort, Gen, Unfinished, implied rape, mention of serg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-05
Updated: 2014-01-05
Packaged: 2018-01-07 13:26:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1120363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artifiction/pseuds/Artifiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kind of fulfilling a prompt for the Bujold Ficathon. Kareen's thoughts about drou.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Friend Indeed

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Philomytha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philomytha/pseuds/Philomytha) in the [Bujold_Ficathon_2013](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Bujold_Ficathon_2013) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> For a long time, Drou was the only person Kareen could trust. Femslash would be very welcome, or gen if you prefer.  
> ____
> 
> Funny story, this was originally going to end up as femmeslash (as the last line indicates) but I can't seem to get the part working, and this half has been lying around for going on half a year now, so on the advice of a friend, I decided to just do this half. I might add Drou's mirror perspective, but we kinda hear it in the book. If anyone's interested in me continuing it in either of those directions, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Fear. Ever since she had said her vows, fear had defined her life. The thin band of gold Serg has slipped onto her finger, cold and glinting like his eyes, had become the first link in the chain of duty and obligation that bound her to him. Fear of Serg. Fear of Ges. Fear for her safety, her comfort, her sanity. There was no one to protect her: Ezar had made it quite clear that until she had given Serg an heir, he would do nothing to step between his son and herself. And the sheer terror she felt whenever Serg demanded her presence in his bedroom guaranteed her a week of nightmares every time. The horrors that took place behind those enameled doors, among those green silk draperies, lingered yet longer. Fear had become her constant companion.

Worse than fear, though, was loneliness. Serg had been careful to make sure that she would, indeed, be lonely. Her family was barred from the Palace, Vor or not. At official functions, she was kept at his side at all times, and his gaze made sure no others got near. The wing of the palace granted to her, ostensibly for her safety, had no tolerance for guests or callers of any sort. There was no one to confide in, no one to wipe her tears and tell her it would be alright, no one to lighten the dread that poisoned her heart. Save for Ges, Serg, and her silent bodyguards, she saw and spoke to no one. 

Ludmilla Droushnakovi had been her savior. She’d been begging anyone who would listen for a female guard ever since the wedding, but had long since given up on that dream when Negri gave her Drou. It had been the best thing to happen to her in half a decade. With Drou at her back, she could face her husband without shaking, safe in the knowledge that if he made a move, Drou would protect her. The blonde would not hold her arms while Serg had his fun, like the brutes before her. With Drou, she slept calmer at night, knowing that she would not wake with a monster in her bed she had not invited there.

In Drou’s gaze, she had found an answer to fear. 

In Drou’s arms, she found an antidote to loneliness.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, it's way, way too short to be a proper fic. I know. I'm making each fic progressively shorter until all my fics are six word stories.


End file.
